That’s okay. There’s no need to get overwhelmed by the incredible array of social media options out there. Find out which social media channels make sense for your business, and optimize your impact there.

A strong presence onone or two channelsis better than spreading yourself poorly across five or six sites that you can’t realistically maintain.

You’ve probably heard this somewhere along the way. Is it true?Probably. Here are 3 reasons why:

(1) First impressions matter.
So you have a web address. But if it’s a tired old site with a load of Flash code or outdated HTML, trust me, it’s not helping you. If you’ve got unclear page navigation or a clunky old design, your visitors will not be impressed.Showing customers that you care about your online presence shows them that you still care about your work.

(2)Your clients want to look you up on their smartphones.As of 2014, more Internet searches are now conducted on mobile devices than on desktops. Additionally,72% of mobile usersprefer websites that are mobile-friendlyand are likely to abandon a website and never revisit if it isn’t.

A mobile-friendly design has touch-friendly navigation buttons that resize when prospective customers or clients look you up on your phones. In certain cases, pieces of your content will also re-size. Users who cannot read or easily navigate your site on their phones will quickly go back to their online search results and find a site that works.

Friends, it’s time. Many of you know I’ve been ghostwriting content for my clients for years.

Having just completed the single largest writing project I have yet undertaken for a client — 18 months in the making — I want to do some writing here now. I’ll still be helping clients create outstanding content. But I’m also going to share some of what I’ve learned in 20 years as a successful journalist, marketing specialist, and digital storyteller.

What does that mean?

this is a blog about digital storytelling

and marketing musts, from Subject Headings to SEO;

the ever-changing landscapeof web design and development,

ways to approach and evaluate social media,

and inspiration for your work and business life.

I’m starting this blog partly because, as long as I’ve been blogging for others, I feel compelled to model it in my own practice. And partly to inspireyou people out there who haven’t fully claimed your greatness. Yes, you!I want you to say yes to your unique gifts.Put them out there!Continue reading “what are you waiting for?”→

Example of a staff profile, commonly used to build loyalty among clients and foster deeper sense of connection to an organization or brand.

Tisha Moore, a university research coordinator, suffered a serious accident in 2007 and as a result, decided to change careers and become a hospital chaplain.

A prison. A deathbed. A hospital ward.

Places that conjure up fear, images of loss. Places most of us seek to avoid at all costs.

Not Tisha Moore. As a volunteer, Moore willingly enters the lives of people who are dying, who are hospitalized, and even those who are behind bars.

She says it brings her life greater meaning.

A research coordinator at the University of Michigan, Moore lived what she describes as a comfortable and relatively insulated life until a cycling accident in 2007 left her with multiple injuries and a host of existential questions.

Though Huffington Post regularly links to its website on Facebook and Twitter, its social media curators do not typically respond to the comments of its fans and followers.

According to Mark W. Smith, the incoming director of social media for USA Today, they could do better. How? Social media users want to know someone is “showing up” when they interact with a page.

Smith, who entertains and informs readers on the subject of social media, interacts constantly with his followers on Twitter. The point is not so much what he says, but the simple fact that he shows up. A seasoned PR specialist might disagree. Still, Smith has a point.